A Double Threat
by MewMidnight
Summary: Deep Blue's soul goes to Hueco Mundo upon his death, where he ends up teaming up with Aizen. The two form an alliance and rebuild the ranks of Espada. Deep Blue is to take the Earth while Aizen conquers the Soul Society. The Mews go to the Soul Society to train to prepare for the upcoming new War. [Crossover Pairings] (Takes Place: After TMM Final Battle, Pre-Quincy Arc in Bleach)
1. Death and the new Journey

A dark curtain of hair hung around his face as he lifted himsel from powdery white sand. The ground resembled ash and went on in every direction around him that he could see. He pushed his upper body out of it and shifted his body to get up. A pounding in his head caused him to blink hard and he rose to his feet, his form was bare and naked. Dark hair fell behind him like a cape as he slowly looked around. The world around him was wide and surrounded him in darkness with dead pale tree trunks with fiberous branches.

The sky was dark, and in the distance, he could see what could be a structure of some kind. It was too far away for him to tell what it was. Icy teal eyes glanced around, and a sound from behind him caused him to whip around with a narrowed angry stare at the person.

A tall older man with a long face and tan skin stood before him, he resembled a human but had what appeared to be some type of bones attached to his upper cheek below his right eye. He had gaunt cheeks, was well groomed, and wore a white robe of some type with black trim. The man had thin lips and elegantly combed back greying hair.

The neatly dressed man stood up from a stone he was perched on and slowly approached the foreigner. A hand held out a folded white robe,

"Good evening sir, I have this for you. Would you grace me with the learning of your name?"

The pale figure stared down at the robe and silently reached out and took it. His icy eyes laid on the white robe and he then stared at the man ahead of him. After a few quiet moments, a smooth deep voice emanated from the new comer,

"Deep Blue."

The man gave a small smile,

"Welcome to Hueco Mundo, Deep Blue."

...

_-1 year later-_

A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she carried a heavy tray of dirty plates and glasses back to the kitchen. Ichigo rolled her eyes at Minto; who was smirking at her from the hostess stand. The red head grit her teeth and had to force herself to look away and keep working- she always got stuck doing the dirty work while Minto got to work as the hostess. Sunday brunch was almost over and without Retasu, Purin, and Zakuro working anymore, there were new waitresses who weren't quite up to par now employed at Cafe Mew Mew. The new girls were not aware of the girls being the Tokyo Mew Mew fighters.

Retasu and Masaya had gone off to start college, and Purin was traveling to look at boarding schools for her siblings. Zakuro had quit working at the cafe, but popped in every so often to eat and check in with the girls, like she was today. Things had grown quiet since the final battle with Deep Blue, but life hadn't slowed down for the girls. Ryou and Keiichiro were still around managing the cafe.

Minto waved daintily and smiled at the numerous customers leaving, she made a point to wave at her idol Zakuro who was lurking in a corner table across the room. Brunch was finally over and the crowd was dying down. Through the large party leaving came a man in a long green coat, he had frayed pale blond hair sticking out messily from under a green and white striped hat. The bird mew felt herself somewhat amused by his traditional appearance as he approached her,

"Welcome to Cafe Mew Mew Sir. I'm sorry but I'm afraid you just missed brunch, we are just about to get set up for Lunch. You still want a table?"

The man raised his head just enough for her to see his eyes from under the brim of the hat,

"I would actually like to speak to the manager if he's available."

Minto felt a twinge of annoyance, believing he could be an upset customer from a previous day. Without another word, she briskly made her way off and called Ryou from the Kitchen. Ryou was assisting Keiichiro due to the Sunday Brunch rush. Ryou scoffed and threw his arms up as he turned to face Minto,

"Really? We made it all morning without a complaint!"

The annoyed blond man wiped off his hands and exited the kitchen to follow Minto to the front of the cafe. The green clad man remained, a corny grin on his face as he met Ryou and shook his hand.

"Could we talk in private Ryou? I have something sensitive to discuss with you."

Ryou brushed him off initially not taking notice that the stranger already knew his name,

"We are just cleaning up for lunch, can you come back later?"

The man shook his head casually with a half smile,

"I'm afraid I can't... and it's somewhat urgent. I have traveled from Karakura Town to meet you Ryou, it's very important."

Ryou relented, and the name 'Karakura Town' stuck out in his mind. He recalled that city had been on the news for a few years having suspicious objects fall from the skies and numerous reported earth quakes. There were odd sightings and disappearances, the town had developed a rather spooky reputation as of late.

The lean manager led the stranger back to the hallway near the base of the stairs that led up to he and Keiichiro's apartments. Ryou leaned back against a wall and made a gesture with his hand,

"This is as private as it's gonna get at this hour, what did you need?"

The visitor took off his hat and leaned back against the opposite wall, a casual smile played his face as he introduced himself.

"My name is Urahara Kisuke. I know who you are and the fighters you are responsible for here in the world of the living. It's very impressive actually. I came to warn you about that uh... battle you all had about a year ago."

Ryou felt a chill run up his spine, this stranger seemed to know quite a bit.

"I think you have the wrong cafe Urahara, I don't know-"

"Please don't placate me. I'm here to help you and I've done my research. I came all this way to warn you- that Deep Blue character you all dealt with isn't exactly gone. I'm afraid if we don't get ahead of this problem now, he will certainly come back for you guys."

The blond manager was frozen where he stood. His body was tingling with nervous energy, the name 'Deep Blue' stood out sharply in the conversation. His guts twisted into a sickening hard knot. Flash backs of that final battle appeared in his mind and all other sound from the cafe fell away. The girls finally had a sense of normalcy and were settled in their regular lives again. Several seconds of silence passed as the two men stared at one another. Ryou felt his heart begin to race as his mind raced. Deep Blue couldn't be back. They killed him. He was gone. He had to be.

"I'm..."

Ryou couldn't find words and trailed off, Urahara interjected,

"I know this is shocking news. But you're not exactly alone in this I assure you. Would you mind if I addressed your whole team?"

...

Minto, Ichigo, Zakuro, and Keiichiro accompanied Ryou after he had abruptly shut down the cafe. The customers were forced out and the group met in the basement. The stranger from the cafe stood before them. Minto furrowed her brow and leaned over to Zakuro,

"I saw him earlier in the cafe."

Urahara smiled sheepishly as he introduced himself to the small group,

"So I already introduced myself to your manager a little while ago. I uh... have some bad news. I know your whole team isn't here, but this will have to do for now. You girls are a team of, well, for lack of a better word, super heroes I suppose. You engaged in a battle with a guy by the name of 'Deep Blue' or something similar to that right?"

The girls nodded, confused expressions painted their faces as they listened intently to this seemingly knowledgable stranger. Ichigo shot a concerned glance over to Ryou, who appeared highly tense and was intently focused on the visitor speaking. Urahara continued, in a more serious tone,

"He's not gone. His body may be gone, but his soul is not. Deep Blue is still a great threat, and will be returning. I'm not sure-"

He was abruptly cut off by Ichigo. She jolted up to her feet and interrupted him,

"What are you talking about?! We killed him, how can his soul be a threat?"

Minto chimed in behind her, "And who even are you?"

Ryou hissed at the girls,

"This is serious, You guys need to pay attention!"

After a brief pause, Urahara continued. The tension in the room was stifling. He broke it down piece by piece to the girls and their male cohorts: The Soul Society. Hueco Mundo. Soul Reapers and Substitute Soul Reapers. The battle with Aizen. The captains and divisions. He pointed out that the Soul Society got an influx of souls when Deep Blue's Ship obliterated part of Tokyo. This sudden mass killing caused the Soul Society to take notice. Deep Blue's soul was now gone, and since it is so powerful, it raised suspicion.

His explanation went on for almost two hours. Each of the mew team were listening intently, their gaze not moving from Urahara for a moment. When Urahara finally finished, he opened his arms widely,

"I know you have questions- Lets hear 'em"

Zakuro rocked back onto the couch she was seated on, her eyes closed and her head leaned back, taking it all in. She had been silent the entire time, but was feeling the mounting stress weigh down on her. Minto sat cross legged, anxiously twiddling her thumbs with a perturbed look on her face. Ichigo was bouncing her foot nervously and piped up first,

"So what do we do?"

Ryou forced a chuckle,

"Million dollar question Strawberry-head."

Urahara shifted his weight and slid his hands down into his pockets,

"I need you all to go to the Soul Society. The Head Captain will want to meet you, and we can enhance your powers there with some training. We will need to prepare for what could happen. This Deep Blue guy has had almost a year to possibly bolster his own power... you guys wouldn't be able to defeat him since you haven't trained at all in the last year I'm assuming."

Urahara was right. Ryou put his head down in his hands, the girls hadn't trained because they felt the alien invasion was over. They weren't ready for another fight with Deep Blue currently. Zakuro took a deep breath and looked over to Minto as she spoke up finally,

"Go to the Soul Society? Like when?"

...

It was around 1am now, Urahara had stayed for a few hours and laid it all out for the team. The group remained in the basement of the cafe after he left, discussing what was to come.

"I just don't understand how this is our problem now? We beat him, we should be done. If he's dead, he's their problem now."

Minto snapped, her arms crossed as she listened to Ryou respond,

"We defeated Deep Blue, and we need to finish the job. Just because he's only a soul now doesn't mean he wont come back to this world to destroy it. Urahara is offering us help, which we have to take to get you girls ready."

Zakuro interjected cooly,

"As frustrating as it is...If he's still around, he'll surely come after us. There is no way around it. He would certainly come after us first if he comes back."

Keiichiro had his head low with his elbows sitting on each of his knees, his eyes set on the ground. He was feeling devastated, he had wished this was all over and the girls could go back to their lives. Ichigo then spoke up,

"This is all so crazy, I feel like I'm going to wake up and it's going to be a dream! I can't just up and leave and go to a soul world! That's insane!"

Ryou hissed at her, a mug of coffee in his hand. He was leaned against the wall near them with Keiichiro to his side.

"You are still a part of the team! We have to act, or Deep Blue and whoever else is in that spirit realm could come after us. Deep Blue still is a threat. You heard the Urahara guy, he knows what the fuck he's talking about. He knows about us. He knew about the work I've done. He knows that wherever Deep Blue is now, he's becoming more powerful and we either sit here and die when he come back for us, or we get up and get to training."

The arguing went on for hours, and it was settled that Retasu and Purin would be updated as soon as they returned. But for now- Immediate action had to be taken.

...


	2. Welcome Home

The dark room around him was like an abyss, smelling of dust and dry stagnant air. A deep breath filled his lungs and a slight smile appeared on his face. The silence was overwhelming, but he felt he had managed to monitor how much time has passed counting away in his head. Aizen leaned his head back as far as he could in the restraints and spoke quietly to himself,

"It's about that time."

...

A lean silver haired man stared out the window of his office, the small stirrings of his Lieutenant behind him were all he could hear. Outside, the sky was grey and clouded, rain was beginning to sprinkle down on the Sereitei. A meek voice spoke up, distracting him from his thoughts,

"Does it feel strange to be back?"

Gin chuckled, thinking back to when he had left the Sereitei with Aizen. It was all for the greater good, to defeat the enemy he knew Aizen would become. If not for Orihime though, he wouldn't be sitting here. The relief was evident on Orihime's face when he opened his eyes to her on that bloody slab of conrete after she revived him. It was a second chance.

The captain turned in his chair and faced Izuru,

"It does. If not for that human girl, I wouldn't be here."

"And the forgiveness of our new Head Captain."

Izuru commented, wearing a sheepish smile on his face. He was so happy Gin was back, it was somewhat overwhelming to him. As strange as Gin was, he was the torch leading his way. He had showed unbelievalbe bravery to get close to Aizen to attempt to defeat him, sacrificing his life to do so.

Gin spoke up again,

"Captain Kyouraku is very forgiving. I think he understood why the cards fell the way they did now that it's all over."

A small knock at the door made them both perk up, Izuru called out to the stranger,

"Come in."

The door opened and in stepped a familiar face, Rangiku. Izuru felt a twinge of anxiety, knowing the relationship between the two now due to the final battle. He stood up, nodded to Gin and walked out immediately. Rangiku was silent as their friend exited the room. Gin sat back in his chair, quiet as she leaned against the now closed door. The two were silent for a few moments before she finally spoke quietly,

"It's been a while."

He nodded slowly, his usual grin was gone and he now wore a serious expression. Rangiku sighed and continued,

"I meant to come see you sooner. I don't know... I'm just... I'm just confused about the entire situation. It's hard to try and come back after everything that has happened. No moment ever felt right to come talk to you."

Gin again nodded, he stood up and made his way around his desk to lean against it to face her fully. He felt guilt looming over him, knowing how she felt already. Nothing she was saying surprised him. She was an emotionally delicate woman, and he knew her well after growing up with her. He finally responded,

"You don't have to talk if ya' don't want to. I can't sit and explain it all away to make ya' feel better."

Rangiku stared at the floor near his feet, deep in thought. Things felt different. He had betrayed her and not said a word to even give her warning. She felt crushed, betrayed, although she still loved him too. The two had grown up together and had been in love. He was her first love. After the mystery and the threats, him directly attacking her even, it was too much to sit back down and pretend nothing had happened.

Their adult lives were so different now. He was so different. The war had changed them. She bit the inside of her lip, feeling like she could cry at any moment at the thought of him leaving. The love felt faded compared to the sharp emotional hurt from the betrayal.

"I feel stupid. I know why you did what you did, but... I just cant get over all the questions I have in my head about what you were doing. I felt abandoned, and like I can't ever trust you again. I put up with you disappearing my whole life, and I can't keep doing it. You always disappear without answer. I don't want to sound ungrateful to you, because you helped save us and I'm eternally grateful... And I still have love for you, but I just..."

"Can't trust me."

He finished her statement, causing her to look up at his face. The two stared at one another for a few moments, and she nodded at him. Gin hated to admit it, but he understood and felt how she felt. Things were different now, and it was time to move on.

...

Their hearts pounded in their chests as they watched in shock as Urahara began to open a Senkaimon. Zakuro even wore a look of surprise as the gate was opened before her eyes to the Soul Society. Only Zakuro, Minto, Ichigo, and Ryou elected to go. Keiichiro remained behind at the cafe to locate the others and update them. Urahara expressed that they may be away for some time for the training, and they had each packed a bag and said their goodbyes.

A nagging thought perched at the back of Ichigo's mind. Masaya had refused her telephone calls, claiming he was studying for exams and too busy to talk. She had tried sending him texts, but to no avail. Him going off to college really had tarnished their relationship till it was only a few calls and texts a week, he didn't have money to visit her often. Her feelings were hurt and she hadn't been able to reach him prior to leaving, but Keiichiro had promised to reach out to him. The thoughts of her dissolving relationship were far at the back of her mind as she witnessed the Senkaimon being opened in front of her.

The gate roared open and lead to a long dark tunnel before them. Urahara turned back towards them, his cane sword was in hand and he pointed at the gate.

"As nervous as you can be, don't worry, the passage will be safe."

Ryou responded,

"Who will be on the other side?"

This earned a chuckle from the green cloaked man,

"There will be a group waiting for you, they will take you to the Head Captain who will make further arrangements."

Minto was trying to hide the fact she was trembling, this was unbelievable. She clung hard to the straps of her white backpack with her hands. She stood someone staggered behind the other three in the group. Zakuro noticed, glancing back to her,

"You all right?"

Minto nodded quickly to her idol, feeling her heart racing in her chest. The violet haired mew nodded back to her,

"It's okay, I'm scared shitless too."

...

The Senkaimon opened on the Soul Society side and several bystanders were present. Hitsugaya and Komamura appeared to ensure the safety at a captain level, along with Iba. Nanao had come as well as several members of various squads who simply wanted to bear witness to the new comers.

Hitsugaya grumbled, noting Rangiku's absence. He groaned under his breath beside Komamura,

"Figures she'd forget."

The large captain chuckled to him as the 4 members of the Mews appeared out of the gate. The four collapsed upon entry, practically spit out by the gate. As they got to their feet, there was a few moments of silence as each of the groups eyed one another. Komamura notably drew their attention.

Nanao broke the silence,

"Welcome to the Sereitei. I'm Lieutenant Ise Nanao of the first division and direct subordinate to the Head Captain Kyouraku."

Ryou appeared to get his bearings first as the girls were still in shock around him.

"I'm Ryou Shirogane, I'm the creator of the team."

Minto shifted as introductions were made, feeling her backpack suddenly becoming to tight around her upper body. As she took off her backpack, she noticed Ichigo and Zakuro's ears and tails were out.

"Your ears are sticking out!"

She chirped, catching the attention of the two girls ahead of her. Ichigo felt hers immediately and looked at Ryou. Minto gave a small gasp upon noticing her wings were out. Nanao commented,

"It must be your soul presenting itself in it's purest form."

Nanao lead the team to Kyouraku, who had gathered all of the current Captains and Lieutenants. Each of the girls were introduced to each division. Ryou explained the girls' powers, and it was determined in lieu of the Shinigami Academy, they would attend training for each division and be housed there for a brief period. Ryou was assigned to work with Mayuri to provide intel about Deep Blue and monitor any suspicious activity from Hueco Mundo.

...

_-2 months later-_

The former alien ruler made his way down a long corridor, accompanied by the Espada he had met previously, Socrates Tholloran. Socrates was identified as the number 1 Espada. Socrates was by Deep Blue's side day and night, assisting him in training and honing his skills to rule Hueco Mundo in Aizen's stead. Deep Blue had begun to reform the Espada and rank them appropriately. However, it was coming time for Aizen's return.

Deep Blue had ruled the palace in Aizen's Stead, but wanted nothing to do with the Soul Realm. It was just a means to an end. The living world and Earth was his goal.

Socrates and Deep Blue made their way into the chamber of the newly appointed number 2 Espada, Munishi Bareer.

Munishi sat cross legged on an enormous black fur rug in a meditative type pose. She had four arms, a lithe and lean build with dark tan skin and long black hair that was pulled into a bun. She opened her eyes lazily upon their entry, a subtle smirk played her face.

"Welcome Master Deep Blue. Socrates."

Deep Blue didn't blink or look away,

"It's time to retrieve Sosuke Aizen."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, practically whispering her response,

"Then it shall be."

...

Deep red hair whipped around her face as she slid across the ground into the side of a building, causing her to halt in a heap against the wall. Ichigo grit her teeth and cursed under her breath, sitting up and blinking a few times at her blond opponent.

Izuru held his zanpakuto out at her, still standing in a defensive position. The cat girl grudgingly got to her feet and tried to pull up the weight of the sword she held with her. It was heavy, excruciatingly heavy. The girl winced and tried to pull it into a defensive position, and she simply dragged the tip across the ground- unable to lift it.

A chuckle echoed out from the shinigami,

"That's my Zanpakuto's ability. Wabisuke. Every strike doubles the weight of whatever I strike with it, until my enemy is bowing their head as if in apology."

Ichigo clenched her jaw harder, knowing she had to show him she could fight. Her body tingled with a familiar heightened energy.

"Ribbon Strawberry Bell!"

The mew's sword glowed a neon pink and immediately raised to point at Izuru. Izuru dodged as a high speed pink beam of energy blasted by him, tearing the ground up in a channel across the ground. Izuru blinked a few times in surprise as he dodged the attack, surprised she was able to overcome the weight of her weapon.

From a nearby patio, Gin stood in observation of the training going on at his barracks. He watched silently as Izuru paid her compliments about her attack. The beam resembled a cero from an Arrancar, but was a different consistency entirely.

Ichigo blushed and dropped her katana on the ground,

"I've never done that attack before! It felt out of control entirely, I've never carried a sword before!"

Izuru chuckled and gave the peppy red head a high five,

"It was a great attack, you just have to hone the ability to aim it properly and track your opponent with it."

Ichigo nodded and as Izuru sheathed his sword, her katana returned to it's normal weight allowing her to pick it up. She laughed,

"Your ability is incredible. If you described it, I wouldn't think anything of it really. But when you use it, it's really effective in a fight."

The two engaged in casual conversation as Gin walked out onto the training field to join them. The silver haired captain carried two wooden boken swords in his right hand. Upon noticing his presence, Izuru nodded his head,

"Captain Ichimaru"

Ichigo immediately turned toward the captain and eyed him briefly, taking note of the two wooden swords in his hand. The captain's haori billowed behind him as he walked between Ichigo and Izuru. Gin smirked at Ichigo who nodded her head in respect as well.

"How about tryin' your hand with me missy?"

...


	3. Calm Before The Storm

"Hows the training going? Learning anything?"

The man before them spoke with a friendly casual tone, leaned back in his desk chair with a large floral pink cloak draped around him. The dawn sunlight was peeking through the open wall that only bore a railing to separate them from the large courtyard of the District 1 barracks. He had brought the Mew team in to address them in lieu of training at their respective divisions for today. Nanao stood by the side of the head captain quietly as he addressed the four new comers.

Ichigo chuckled and Minto scoffed while Ryou shot them both a death glare. Zakuro stood quietly, staring at Kyouraku quietly. The relaxed captain smiled as Ichigo spoke up,

"I know I've learned a lot. I've never carried a sword before."

Kyouraku nodded,

"It's quite a new method of training I'm sure. Especially since you experience each division, they are all very different."

He stood up and walked around the desk to stand closer to the four and continued,

"I feel it may be wise for all of us to sort of band together. With that Deep Blue fella's soul lingering around in Hueco Mundo, I figure we will need all the help we can get. If you thought he was strong alive, he'll be ten times the monster he was if he becomes a Hollow."

Ryou shifted his weight, clenching his hands in his pockets at the thought.

"I agree. We need to keep training going on our end and get our other two teammates in here to join up as well."

Zakuro nodded,

"The training has been really beneficial, but we have a long way to go."

Kyouraku seemed surprised at her speaking to him,

"Sheesh I think that's the first time I've heard you talk since you got here. I really agree, I feel you all are a great addition to the Sereitei."

Ichigo nodded in agreement, and Minto was seemingly quiet, feeling frustrated. Kyouraku picked up on her attitude due to the irritated expression on her face,

"How about you?"

With the direct question, Minto shrugged, still wearing frustration,

"I just feel like it's your guys' responsibility to handle the souls of the dead- not ours."

Ryou spat back at her quickly,

"Watch your mouth! You're-!"

Kyouraku cut him off casually,

"Woah, It's all right my friend."

The brown haired captain chuckled at the sudden tension, trying to ease the situation. He spoke again,

"I can understand why you'd feel that way. Ordinarily, I'd agree. However, since you guys have fought him before, you'll be an asset in the fight against him. You also are kidding yourself if you think you're safe in the world of the living."

The last sentence really perked her up, causing Minto to stare right at him as he continued speaking.

"He'll come for you there as well, and without any training... Are you sure you'd be ready for him to be nearly ten times the power he was when you last saw him? I think it's evident we need one another, and we just want to help you out a little."

The tension in the room was rising, and Kyouraku felt it was getting quite too serious for such a monumental day. After a few moments, he changed the subject, casually rocking back against his desk and perking up his tone.

"I know each of you is on sort of your own schedule, but there is a celebration tonight. I am promoting four new Captains here in an hour or so... and there will be a celebration to follow in the Garden behind this district you're in now. It will be at sunset. Although the ceremony itself is very formal and more for Shinigami, you are welcome to attend the celebration this evening. It's for seated officers and superiors, but I figure y'all could use a break and join us."

...

"You look stunning!"

Rangiku cooed as she grabbed Ichigo's shoulders and turned her to face a mirror hung on the wall. Nanao and Hinamori were there as well at the 10th division barracks, dressing out for the celebration. Nanao chuckled as Ichigo reacted to her silk kimono. It was a bright pink with sharp red colored flowers decorated over it with gold and green accents. It also had a long slit up the left leg.

"Oh wow, I really love it!"

Ichigo stated as she gasped and looked herself up and down in the mirror, she felt beautiful. It had been a long time since she had gotten dressed up for anything. For just a moment, she felt a sad feeling tug at her mind. What would Masaya think of her dress? Or was he even thinking of her?

The thought made her smile fade slightly, and she turned back as Zakuro finished getting dressed across the room. The tall girl wore a shimmery black kimono with reddish-violet flowers decorating it. Minto was slipping on a set of silver heels to match her navy blue kimono that had white doves decorating it. Nanao chimed in as the girls finished getting dressed,

"Rangiku knows her dresses, you guys look wonderful."

The blond chuckled and eyed her handywork at dressing up their new found friends,

"They'll be the talk of the Sereitei after tonight I'm sure."

Nanao quietly agreed, secretly feeling somewhat jealous of the dolled up girls. Secretly, she hoped Kyouraku wouldn't pay them any mind. The black haired woman turned back and noted Hinamori sitting in the corner, brushing her hair. It was odd, usually Hinamori was so bubbly and friendly. However, tonight she was so solemn and withdrawn. Himamori was very different since the betrayal of Aizen and the final war, it had really changed her. Nanao walked over to her younger counterpart,

"You okay? You're awful quiet."

Hinamori meekly smiled and looked up at her friend, it seemed feigned,

"I'm all right."

...

Music rung out among the crowd, cheering was heard as the new captains were announced. As captains, the Gotei 13 promoted:

Rukia Kuchiki as the Captain of the 13th Division, Shuuhei Hisagi for the 9th Division, Renji Abarai for the 5th division, and finally Neliel Tu Oderschvank as the first Arrancar Captain for the 8th Division. The lieutenant positions were to be decided at a later date and to be chosen by the captains in charge of the divisions with lieutenant vacancies.

Ichigo, Minto, Ryou, And Zakuro, all sat at a table with Nanao and Kyouraku at the head table. Everyone was finsihing up a large feast to celebrate and the drinking and dancing were just getting started. Several large round tables were arranged in a cobblestone patio area part of an enormous garden. Huge looming weeping willows hung over them, and candles lit the area as well as large strands of glowing paper lanterns. The garden had paths in every direction, it was a hidden gem behind the 1st Division Barracks. Koi ponds were strewn about, and there were secluded benches tucked in between rows and paths of flowers.

The warm glow and cacophany of conversation was a nice change of pace from the hard training. Each of the girls were exhausted from learning swordsmanship, kidou, and flash step.

Zakuro propped her face up with one hand on the table under her chin, staring at the numerous shinigami enjoying themselves. Her long grey wolf ears flinched with the different noises from the laughter and voices around her. It was like no one noticed her at all, and she loved it.

Deep inside her, relief washed over her heart. No one here blinked an eye at her fame or fortune. No one was pestering her for autographs; no one pushing to take photos with her. It was nice to finally relax, and not feel so much pressure. She was just part of a larger team now, and it felt almost like... family.

The wolf girl rose from the table to make her way over to a bar set up nearest to the wall of the barracks. She found herself accompanied by Iba and the towering Komamura. The enormous captain was intriguing to her. As she approached, a small black haired girl brushed passed her without saying a word. A depressing

Iba announced Zakuro's presence for her in a joking manner,

"Woah Woah, There's a lady on deck, straighten up gents!"

Zakuro couldn't help but smile slightly at the man as she stepped into the circle near the bar.

"Gee, Thanks."

Ikkaku and Yumichika were near Komamura, facing one another and squabbling over nonsense regarding their division. Komamura smiled down at her,

"Nice of you to join us."

Zakuro stared up at the wolf headed man,

"Thank you. I'm admittedly curious about you, and this place."

As she spoke the second half of her sentence, she looked around her again at the celebrating shinigami. Komamura looked out in the same direction as her,

"I don't blame you, it's a curious place. What is it that intrigues you so?"

"The fact I blend in."

Her words were somewhat soft, and Iba trampled in on the conversation,

"You? Blend in? Sheesh girl you gotta get your friggin' eyes checked. You're a knock out compared to some of these fuckin' women."

Zakuro rolled her eyes, but felt herself trying not to chuckle. He meant it as a compliment. She found herself looking back up as Komamura chimed in,

"He means that in the most respectful manner of course."

Komamura seemed stern, shifting his gaze to Iba, who downed a glass of sake. Zakuro leaned around Iba and ordered a glass of red wine from the shinigami bar keep. The petite blond handed back her drink, and the wolf mew turned back to face the large garden of tables. Ikkaku and Yumichika then piped into the conversation as Iba made Zakuro's presence known to them both as well.

Ikkaku scoffed and nodded his head in her direction,

"Who cares if she's beautiful, beauty ain't shit if you can't fight. Can you fight wolf girl?"

Zakuro's stare shot right to his eyes, but Yumichika piped in before she could respond,

"Beauty is everything you bald cave man. I think you're stunning, and if you can fight, it's just a bonus."

The three men began to squabble about being beautiful or not and fighting ability, and Zakuro found them quite amusing. Komamura's calm voice made the other three's squabbling fade almost entirely away.

"You want to fit in with the shinigami?"

Zakuro took a deep breath, her voice was low,

"It's a nice change of pace. I'll put it that way. "

Nearby, Ichigo had her plate in hand at the dessert table and pined over the various sweets presented. Her long dark brown tail flicked about in excitement. Gorgeous cakes, pies, and small chocolates decorated the table, surrounded by plates of fruit. The feline mew picked a couple of the small desserts and wiggled happily as she went to back up and turn away from the table. As she turned, she knocked right into a captain.

Ichigo flinched as her plate wobbled right out of her hand, part of a cake dessert tumbled down the front of the captain's white haori and onto the ground. She yanked her hands in to her face in shock upon colliding with the person, covering her mouth and staring at the now tainted haori. Ichigo's face lit up as red as her hair as she stared at the surprised look on his face. It was Gin.

The witty grin only faded from his face for a brief second, and it returned quickly as she fumbled to find words.

"Oh my god, I'm so, so mortified! I'm sorry Captain Ichimaru!"

The shocked girl just kept her hands over her mouth, staring at the colored icing now staining the front of his captain's haori. A chuckle from Kyourkau nearby made her feel somewhat more relaxed. Gin shrugged and waved a hand at her,

"No need to be mortified Ichigo~!"

The silver haired captain spoke in a slick tone, and used a drawn out inflection on her name in a cutesy manner. He grabbed the inner collar and shed the haori, folding it up and placing it aside on his chair at the table just behind him. Through his shihakusho, she could see his lean muscled form as he leaned down and the cloth tightened around his upper back. Ichigo shook her head,

"I'm really so sorry, I feel so embarrassed."

Gin turned back around, still smiling at her. She remembered the fight with the wooden swords she'd had with him, and remembered how fast and skilled he was. The captains really were so far ahead of them as far as training. Gin closed the gap between them and stood close to her, his tone lowered to almost a whisper,

"I'm guessin' ya need another dessert now!"

The girl felt her heart flutter at the proximity and she stood very still as he brushed passed her, his scent wafted through her nose. Gin smelled like fresh rain, ominous and clear. Ichigo turned back and watched him go to the dessert table and look around on it. It was such a strange feeling, like having a snake wrapped around your body and feeling it's quick tongue flicker at your face. Gin's mere presence was thought provoking to her. She stared at the back of his head and almost didn't notice Minto walk up beside her,

"Of course you'd spill something on someone. I can't believe you just did that, how humiliating! It's a wonder Masaya puts up with you."

Ichigo glared at her avian counterpart,

"Oh Shut up! I didn't mean to! He was really nice about it though, and he didn't get mad at all."

The red head felt herself get pulled back to reality upon hearing Masaya's name, like she just remembered her actual life back home. Minto made an inaudible groan in her throat,

"He's weird, I don't trust him."

Minto brushed off the lack of response from Ichigo at her comment and turned to see her idol walking off with Komamura through the gardens. The blue haired girl huffed, feeling frustrated seeing Zakuro walk off without her. Ichigo ignored Minto as Gin brought her a plate with a strawberry cheesecake and handed it to her,

"Try not to toss this one on me would ya?"

...

"Are you ready sir?"

The older arrancar stated flatly, staring at the face of the former alien ruler. Deep Blue nodded to him silently as he walked to the center of the room in front of Munishi. Her dark straight cut bangs hung down over her eyes and a wide wicked grin appeared on her face as the alien approached her. Deep Blue turned his back to Munishi and stood directly in front of her.

The multi-armed woman reached out and wrapped two slender hands over his shoulders, and two lower arms slid around his upper body and grabbed his ribcage area. In a blink, Socrates watched Deep Blue disappear completely from the senses.

The two appeared briefly in random section of the Rukon District outside the Sereitei. No soul noticed them, as he immediately teleported again. Munishi had cloaked them in a barrier, using her ability the 'void'. Her barrier completely severed her from detection from any spiritual being.

Deep Blue appeared again in the Sereitei, but only for a moment to gather his bearings. The alien teleported them again once inside, this time directly in front of the central 46. Munishi sighed,

"Can you get us inside?"

...

_-3 hours later-_

"I think there is a better way to help your girls and their fighting ability, if I'm being honest. But it breaks all the rules we've followed for thousands of years."

The words of the head captain made the now slightly inebriated Ryou turn his head towards Kyouraku. They had been in one another's company practically the entire night. Ryou shrugged and haphazardly shook his head,

"What do you suggest?"

Kyouraku's casual smile faded somewhat as he sat back in his chair. What he was about to suggest was quite serious, and betrayed the rules of the Sereitei. He stared for a moment quietly before mustering his words,

"They could become substitute shinigami."


	4. The Rain

A small Koi pond was in the middle of the garden with large weeping willows looming over it. There were numerous plants and flowers decorating the small paths around the pond. A small water fountain was the only noise present other than the somewhat distant white noise of conversation at the nearby gathering. They were the only two persons were present in the dim garden.

The large wolf headed captain was casually leaned against the pale barracks wall as he kindly spoke with his new found friend. A relaxed expression was on Zakuro's face as he got to know her.

"You dont seem to miss your home realm too much."

His words made her look away from him and shift her weight. Zakuro stared off to her left as she admitted it,

"I really don't miss it. It feels strange."

"Would you want to elaborate?"

His response got her attention focused back on his face, she stared hard at him for a few moments. Zakuro hated opening up to anyone, giving them information gave them power over you. She didn't like showing any hint of weakness whatsoever. But, something was different about him. His presence was tranquil and made her feel at ease, he certainly didn't seem the type to use anything against her down the road.

The violet haired woman took a slow deep breath,

"I am somewhat of a celebrity in the world of the living. I'm a singer, model, dancer... a performer. I just... "

She trailed off, having doubts and feeling she was over sharing to someone she didn't know that well. The captain sensed her tension,

"I'm sorry, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I don't enjoy sharing my personal feelings with others either. It's hard to know who you can trust."

As soon as he spoke, he vividly saw his former friend Tosen in his mind. Remembering their friendship was painful, and his death was even harder to stomach. It still hurt like a sharp barb in his abdomen. It made his gaze move away to the pond in front of them, his eyes searched the scene in front of him for answers to his thoughts that weren't there. Zakuro gawked up at him and her voice lowered as she spoke again,

"I'm sure you say that from experience."

"I do, unfortunately. I lost my best friend to the enemy for a reason I still dont quite understand, and it cost him his life. I always think about what I could have done differently, but I don't like to talk about it much."

Zakuro felt sorrow wash over her, she didn't really have close friends like that. The girls were the closest to her, and even their relationship felt like arms length sometimes. The girls all talked about their personal lives, but no one knew much about hers. No one really bothered to ask. Perhaps it was her own fault, for not opening up.

She spoke again in a deliberate but respectful tone,

"You probably couldn't have done anything different. A lot of People are going to do what's best for them, not for what's honorable."

He immediately felt somewhat sorry for her and her perception that others were so selfish. However, Tosen had betrayed so many that he called friends for not himself, but for what he claimed to be a greater purpose. It still ached in Komamura's chest, he responded cooly to the girl,

"Not everyone is selfish like that. Sometimes they are just following what path they believe is right. Their perception is perhaps just different."

"It's a spit in the face of those who care about their well being."

Zakuro almost snapped back, he maintained a calm and respectful demeanor,

"I feel one must do what is best for the greater good. But you're right, it unfortunately could hurt those close to them."

Zakuro felt very comforted by him, she couldn't quite put her finger on what quality it was that he had that put her at peace. For just a moment she had felt tense, but there was something about him that immediately soothed her. She smiled slightly and looked up into his amber eyes,

"I agree. But then again, most aren't willing to self sacrifice for what is right."

"Sounds like you've done a lot for others, and haven't taken much time for yourself. Maybe fame isn't healthy for you."

His words felt like a hot coal. It was something she tried to keep buried down, her self doubt about her career. Sknew it was unintentional on Komamura's part to strike that nerve inside her. Her gut wrenched, further pondering of the regrets she had about pursuing her career. It wasn't what she thought it was, her family had pushed her and then left her high and dry it felt. It had always been so lonely. Her parents let her be lonely growing up, and it's hard to get close to anyone when you're just their idol. Being a mew is the closest she ever has felt to having good friends.

"Yeah... You're probably right."

...

Nearby, Rangiku took note of a cohorts absence as she downed another drink. Nanao sat near her, less intoxicated than the woman beside her. The curvaceous blond held her drink up as if to point with it, slurring her words,

"Where.. Where is Hinamori? She's... She's ssssupossed to be here with us?"

Nanao looked around the table, over the heads of the male lieutenants drinking in the chairs across from them. Hinamori's seat was notably empty.

Nearby, Hitsugaya overheard Hinamori's name mentioned by the two women. He perked up and glanced around, also noticing his good friend's vacancy. He was not intoxicated and was not entirely fond of the celebrations such as this. The white haired captain swiftly stepped away from everyone towards one of the garden paths and used his spiritual pressure to search for her, and noticed she was very far from the party.

He furrowed his brow in concern, why would she have left so quickly? She hadn't said a word.

...

Ryou shook his head while looking down at his drink clasped in his right hand,

"I'm not sure if they'll want to do that."

A cheerful pink cloaked man chuckled beside him as he took a sip of his own beverage, leaning back in his chair. He had just presented the idea to make the mews into substitute shinigami- something that had been a hard law in the past under Yamamoto. But with the threats they potentially faced now, they may have no other option.

The head captain had a slight blush to his cheek from the alcohol as he responded,

"They might not really have a choice... it's the only sure-fire way to boost their power and we know it works. They're far too weak to face even a low ranking arrancar at this point. An Espada would kill them on the spot. We have to do something."

The blond man nodded, understanding completely where he was coming from. The mew team had gone from thinking the fight was over, but it was overwhelming to think they were no where near done with this burden. Ryou noted the captain stiffen up and become more rigid, and the color faded from his face all at once. It was as though he saw a ghost. His glass suddenly was dropped to the table and cracked.

Ryou's sobering reaction became present on his own face with great concern at the sudden change in his counterpart,

"What is it?"

Kyouraku took a shaky breath, a distant but heavy spiritual pressure was suddenly gone. As if it had vanished. The brown haired mans eyes were wide as the party began to fall silent around them, all of the captains and lieutenants seemed to sense the same sudden change in the atmosphere.

Although Aizen had always been pent up in the deepest prison of the central 46, but the most powerful of shinigami could still detect his existence. And it was now entirely gone.

...

Hitsugaya felt his stomach lurch upon sensing Aizen's disappearance, it hit him as he stood on a rooftop observing Hinamori standing outside the main doors of the central 46. She stood alone at the main entrance doors, staring at them in the middle of the large concete thoroughfare. The plain building always made him uneasy to see after the betrayal of Aizen and his history with his zanpakuto. But now he felt even more so perturbed that he could no longer detect any trace of Aizen's reiatsu. It was like he simply vanished.

The white haired captain immediately flash stepped up behind Hinamori as she stood gawking at the doors.

"Hinamori, what are you doing here?"

He felt nervous energy surge through him, he wasn't sure if she felt the same thing he had just felt. Part of him felt some misplaced anger that she would come here alone, but a deep piece of him knew how she cared for Aizen more than just as her captain. The girl didn't turn back to look at him, and kept her eyes fixed on the door.

"I was wondering what it was like in there... And now..."

The girl slowly looked back over her shoulder at him with a vacant expression,

"It seems Captain Aizen might not be in there at all anymore."

Her casual reaction felt like needles in his skin. It irked him so much that she still referred to Aizen the traitor as 'Captain'. Hitsugaya's temper immediately flared, he grit his teeth and practically spat a response,

"What is wrong with you? If he's really gone do you have any idea what that means?!"

He wasn't good at hiding his frustration, he never was. His lack of tact really was like sandpaper to those around him. grinding upon those that didn't like him. Hitsugaya tried to fight his building anger and confusion towards his long time friend who seemed completely mentally absent. The final battle with Aizen and the Espada had changed her in a way he didn't like.

Hinamori blinked, and just seemed in a daze. It certainly wasn't alcohol from the party as she hadn't been drinking with the others or even talking for that matter. Something was surely wrong with her. She took a shaky breath and appeared as though she could cry,

"I don't know why... but since Captain Aizen left... I always felt-"

She was abruptly cut off by the appearance of Kyouraku, Nanao, Byakuya, and Renji. Hitsugaya whipped around to look at the others, Renji immediately hissed at the two,

"Aizen could be gone and you two are just fuckin' standing here?"

Before Hinamori or Hitsugaya could respond, Kyouraku brushed passed them to the main doors of the central 46. He didn't look back over his shoulder as he issued his commands,

"Now is not the time to squabble, we could have a serious problem on our hands. I'm going down there to confirm it with my own eyes. The rest of you are to dispatch all squads to begin searching for any evidence of this disappearance. Immediately. I want to know if there is so much as a speck of suspicious reiatsu in the entire area."

...

The alarms sent the shinigami into a flurry. Everyone was searching for any trace of Aizen or a possible intruder for over a day. Hours went by of scouring every inch of the Sereitei and even the Rukon District. But the most troubling of all, was that there was nothing. Amongst hours of searching, not even a trace of reiatsu was found to identify the intruder.

The captains met back up at the main thoroughfare in front of the first district at sundown of the day after the celebration, and the tensions were flaring up due to the exhaustion of the search.

"What the fuck good is the 12th division if they can't detect an intruder? Your whole division is a fucking joke!"

Kenpachi roared angrily at the unusual pharoah looking captain of division twelve. Mayuri grit his teeth and stood up straighter in front of the monsterous black haired man,

"You are blaming me for something you don't even quite understand? You insolent-"

He was cut off by Kyouraku loudly booming over them,

"Everyone. Now is the worst possible time to be divided. The worst has happened to us, and now we need to prepare every armed person in the sereitei. Aizen could be anywhere, and we have to assume the worst and that he is likely back in Hueco Mundo."

The tired captains around him fell quiet. It was troublesome to know that the ultimate enemy they had defeated had just vanished from a maximum security cell without anyone seeing a thing. The central 46 had been unharmed, and they were in a scramble as well, as none of them could fathom someone entering the building without being detected. Hitsugaya angrily glared at Gin, considering whether he could possibly be involved again. He never fully bought the double agent role Gin supposedly played.

The floral clad head captain continued to address his subordinates,

"We have to get geared up quickly, because we can't give him an opportunity to recover fully or to build his army again. We will have a captain's meeting first thing tomorrow morning, have your lieutenants present as well. I know everyone is exhausted, so get some rest tonight. I don't think we have anything suspicious left in the Sereitei, but keep an eye out for anything. We will re-address this first thing in the morning when everyone has some rest under their belt."

Hitsugaya was still troubled, a scowl was present on his face. He wasn't even listening to the head captain issue orders, he was thinking back to Hinamori and what she hadn't finished telling him. His head buzzed with the idea of a conspiracy between Gin and Aizen. Maybe Hinamori's feelings towards Aizen were even deeper than he thought too- or maybe it was Aizen's zanpakuto affecting her. He couldn't be sure, but something wasn't right.

...

Ichigo bounced her leg nervously as she sat on the back patio of the 3rd division barracks, Izuru and Gin had been gone since the promotion celebration. The sun was setting and rain was falling lightly around her in the courtyard. There was a small pond and some persimmon trees around the area. She had no ability to sense reiatsu, so she had been left behind. The cat girl twisted her mouth in thought, wondering what was taking Keiichiro so long to find the others. They needed the rest of the team, they needed everyone they could to face off against Deep Blue.

The thought that he was more formidible in the after life was gut wrenching to say the least. It hurt her in a way she couldn't describe to think they were no longer powerful enough to fight Deep Blue. However, some comfort was found knowing that the Sereitei had so many capable warriors to help the cause.

The girl leaned back, propping her upper body with her hands splayed out beside her. She gazed over the trees at the darkening sky. They would have to train harder.

Movement out in the courtyard made her jerk upright on the off chance it was something important. Someone flash stepped under the overhang she was perched under and it was the now soaking wet captain of the 3rd division. Ichigo practically squeaked as she popped up to her feet,

"Captain you're soaked!"

Gin wore his usual grin and nodded to her,

"No worries Ichigo~ Did anything happen while I was gone around the barracks?"

The feeling of being utterly useless washed over her as soon as he asked the question. She felt like a housecat left to guard a home. He had been out searching and being productive along with the rest of the division, and she was left here because she couldn't sense spiritual pressure or provide any viable assistance to their search party. It was new to her to feel utterly powerless. Ichigo swallowed her feelings of inadequacy and shook her head,

"Nothing really."

Her expression appeared slightly glum, and nothing made it passed Gin's perceptiveness. As soon as he noted her demeanor, he stepped up closer to her, within arms reach. His soaked hair clung to his forehead and around his narrow eyes as he spoke to the shorter girl,

"What do ya look so sad for?"

Ichigo hesitated, feeling somewhat nervous that he was now standing so close to her. He was so bizarre in his mannerisms, it was hard to read him completely. She choked out an answer,

"I'm... I'm sorry I'm not more useful. I feel kind of helpless, it's something I'm not used to."

Gin's grin widened, he enjoyed a helpless opponent. He reveled in the conflicted emotions of others, but this girl had begun to greatly pique his interest. The captain leaned down even closer,

"You are very useful to me! And I believe the head Capt'n has something to bolster yer powers. So I wouldn't fret too much."

Ichigo gawked up awkwardly at the lean man, he strangely felt comforting to her. She wasn't sure why, but he was quite interesting. It was as though when she was around him, Masaya felt farther from memory. Guilt panged her heart as soon as she thought of him and how distant they'd become. He hadn't even bothered to answer a slough of phone calls and texts from her before she departed. What was more important than your girlfriend going to a realm of souls?

Gin caught her attention once again and stepped back and shed his wet haori. Ichigo realized he was shedding his clothing and whipped around to look away,

"I'll go so you can get dried off Captain!"

She sounded frazzled as she said it and felt her cheeks somewhat flush pink. Something about the way he acted around her made her nervous and excited, like everything was so new. The silver tongued captain brushed against her as he walked passed her,

"I'll see ya in a bit then Ichigo~"

The inflection he used on her name felt like she was his cute pet or something, she thought it was rather cute. No one ever spoke to her that way before. Ichigo kicked herself and turned back to the rainy courtyard as Gin slipped off into the barracks to change. What was wrong with her? Why would she feel so thrilled at the attention of a complete stranger?

...

The rain was pouring loudly by this point, the dull roar of inclement weather filled the sereitei. A black haired girl sat quietly in the outdoor thoroughfare of division 5, her entire body was soaking wet from trekking through the rain to get back here. She stared quietly in a kneeling position, her eyes fixated on the doors ahead of her by a few feet.

It was Aizen's former chamber when he was the captain, seemed like a life time ago. Hinamori stifled a sob as she stared at the door, hoping somehow the Aizen she had known would emerge and everything that happened could be a bad dream. She was so enthralled in her day dream she failed to take notice of her childhood friend, Hitsugaya. The white haired captain sputtered a curse under his breath at the weather as he arrived.

The white robed young man stood near her on the long patio type hall outside of Aizen's former chamber. His eyes were locked on the side of her face as she continued to sit in a kneeling position. For a few moments, the dull purr of the rain was all they could hear. It hurt him in a way to see her like this, they had always been so close. She appeared as an abused dog, still returning to the owner who injured it so badly. He spoke directly but as kind as he could muster,

"Hinamori... What is going on? I'm worried about you, you're acting different recently."

The young woman swallowed hard and failed to blink away the tears that streamed from the corners of her eyes. She appeared so tired and worn down,

"I just... wish everything could have been different. I wish it was back to the way things were. Since Captain Aizen left, I feel like, everything that motivated me to get to this position has all fallen away. It's like, I don't know why I bothered to get here."

Hitsugaya felt anger pool inside him again, she was so hopelessly obsessed with Aizen that it bore into him like hot coal. He tried to remain calm and knelt down beside her, earning her tearful gaze.

"He's not who we all thought he was, it shook all of soul society when he turned on us. But he is gone Hinamori, you have to let him go. He might even be gearing up to fight us again as we speak. We have to be ready, and the Sereitei needs you."

Letting go of Aizen is something she'd been unable to do entirely. Hinamori blinked a few times as she still cried quietly in front of her dear friend. Part of her had thought of what it would be like to be with Hitsugaya in a romantic sense, but that all seemed to disappear as soon as she met Aizen. He was all that she could think about. Impressing him and being the best lieutenant for him was all she wanted, and he still left her behind. He so easily abandoned her and used her as a decoy during his final assault on Karakura.

It was devastating to be so invested in someone to have them utterly disregard you as if you never existed at all. Hinamori choked out words to her friend,

"I just want to know why he did it... If I could ask him that, I would feel at ease."

...


	5. New Substitute Shinigami

The Captains stood solemnly with their lieutenants behind them like shadows during the captains meeting. It was early, and everyone was still exhausted from the in depth search of the soul society the day prior. Low ranking division shinigami were still out in scheduled search parties in case something was missed.

The Captains listened intently to the Head Captain Kyouraku's instructions and plan to go to Hueco Mundo very quickly. He was giving them each responsibilities and selecting each group to have a Captain or Lieutenant who was familiar with Hueco Mundo to be a part of each infiltration unit. They would attack Hueco Mundo in waves before Aizen could regain his full strength. He was giving each captain a week's time to get prepared. He also presented the idea of having the 3 mew girls become substitute soul reapers, today.

The idea was squabbled over only a bit, but no one outright disagreed with the choice. They were going to need every capable fighter possible for such a quick invasion into Hueco Mundo. The newly promoted captain of squad 8, Neliel, didn't speak much as she felt rather out of place as a captain. It was strange to be the only arrancar captain among shinigami, but she surely didn't want Aizen to further his goals.

It was determined theat each girl would have two individuals channel their reiatsu into each girl so as not to drain one captain of too much power. A Captain and their Lieutenant would be the ones performing this tranfer of power. However, the idea itself needed to be presented to the girls themselves. Kyouraku elected to do so alongside Ryou, who was brought in towards the end of the meeting.

Once the captains were in agreement about their upcoming responsibilities, they were dismissed. As they exited the main doors to the 1st division meeting hall, Ichigo, Zakuro, and Minto stood outside in the courtyard waiting to be brought in. The early morning sun was peering over the buildings as the captains exited the room and began to meander in different directions.

Komamura and Gin paused by the girls, Minto didn't speak to her division leader, Shuuhei Hisagi. He left with only a nod to her and a haphazard smile.

The wolf headed captain smiled at the violet haired girl,

"They're going to present a great gift to you that hasn't been presented in hundreds of years, it'll expand your abilities monumentally in a short period of time. It may be daunting, but I hope you'll accept it."

Zakuro nodded at him and showed the faintest hint of a smile. They had discussed this topic before and she was ready for what was about to be presented to her. Ichigo meekly smiled at Gin as he stood near her and Minto. The silver haired captain gave a smirk to Minto and spoke to Ichigo in his usual slick manner,

"Like he says, Ya got quite the opportunity, hopefully ya take it~ You'll need all the help ya can get if we gotta fight ol' Aizen again."

His tone had grown colder towards the end of his sentence, a flash of Aizen nearly killing him blinked in his mind for a moment. He kept his smile and feigned being calm though it utterly weight on him to think of how strong Aizen could potentially become. Minto stared in a side-eyed manner at the odd Captain, she didn't trust him in the slightest. Beside her, Ichigo nodded eagerly at him,

"I hope I'm ready."

...

Once inside the captains meeting hall, the girls were presented with the facts and circumstances of becoming a substitute shinigami. The idea itself was eerie to those never exposed to this sort of world, but it seemed as though it had to be done. Although they were already capable fighters, they needed the spiritual pressure to enhance their capabilities and make them more formidible in battle.

Ichigo felt herself shiver of thinking of a sword plunging into her spirit to dump energy into her. Ryou took note of the girls visible discomfort, he expected it. However, Zakuro seemed oddly calm about the entire situation, she hadn't questioned much of the process.

Kyouraku sighed and dropped his hat down beside where he sat to run a hand through his long wavy locks,

"I know I was long winded girls, not usually my style. But what do you think? Is it something you guys think you're in for?"

Without hesitation, Zakuro spoke up with unbridled confidence,

"I'll do it. I'm ready."

Ichigo and Minto whipped their heads in her direction in shock at how quickly she answered. Minto scoffed and looked at the floor in front of her for answers and Ichigo meekly spoke up to Kyouraku and Ryou,

"I'm a little nervous about it... is it the only way?"

Ryou finally chimed in,

"It's the quickest and most efficient way to get your powers anywhere near ready to fight these new enemies. I've been with Captain Kurotsuchi for weeks now, and I'm telling you these Arrancar- Hollow things aren't a joke. They're not like anything you've ever gone against before. There is no other way."

Minto was biting her lip and looked to Ichigo as the cat girl spoke up again,

"I guess if there's no other way, we kinda have to do it then."

The avian mew was hesitating, her heart raced. So many conflicted thoughts ran through her mind. How could this burden fall on them? She crossed her arms and finally responded,

"I don't think I can do this, this is nuts!"

Ryou felt his body tense and he walked over to her, Ichigo snapped at her before Ryou could,

"Minto! This might be the only way we get to where we need to be in such a short amount of time! Don't be such a chicken!"

Minto spat back angrily at the lead mew,

"I am not being a chicken, but this is crazy! We're supposed to protect the Earth, not pick up swords and try to battle soul monsters! How is it we get roped into handling Deep Blue's soul? I said it before, it's not our responsibility. If these captains are so powerful they should do their jobs and stop him, end of story. If he ever made it to the world of the living it means they failed."

Ryou interrupted the blue haired girl,

"You don't get it do you? He will go to the world of the living, he will kill thousands, no- probably millions of people potentially and throw off the balance of all of the worlds. He was our enemy first and just because he's dead doesn't mean we just sit here and do nothing. We don't just pass the buck like that, How can you be so naive?"

Zakuro shook her head quietly and it earned the attention of Minto, who was incredibly sensitive to any reaction by her idol. Instantly she felt a chill at the visible displeasure worn on Zakuro's cold facade. Ichigo noticed and stepped out from between the other girls as Minto ignored Ryou's tangent to speak to Zakuro,

"Onee-sama, you can't truly believe this is the only way? This is insane!"

"If you're too afraid then go back to the world of the living. We don't need any cowards by our side in potentially the most serious fight we'll ever be in."

The words were like daggers through the shorter girl, she felt immediately choked up at the cruelty in Zakuro's words and tone. The girl stared up at her pleadingly for any type of comfort, but only got a cold stare. Zakuro surprisingly continued upon their eyes meeting,

"Either step up to the plate, or go home and risk losing your life while you sit at home and cower in your house."

...

Wrapped in thick kidou ridden straps sat the former lord of Hueco Mundo, back in his former abode of Las Noches. A foreigner stood before him with two newly appointed espada at his sides. Aizen gazed up at the dark haired alien before him with a single eye,

"So you're Deep Blue. The alien ruler from a far away planet, how interesting."

Deep Blue stared down at the man strapped to the chair, he could sense how powerful Aizen was from across the room. The black haired alien calmly responded,

"I am."

Beside Deep Blue was the older male espada ranked at number one, Socrates. He respectuflly interjected,

"May we free you now, Lord Aizen?"

Deep Blue put out a hand in front of Socrates to hush him, he cooly spoke again while staring very seriously into Aizen's uncovered eye,

"Do we have an accord that I will rule all of the living world, and you are to take control of all of the spirit realm?"

Although Deep Blue was dead, his searing anger and desire to conquer the Earth was still what kept him going. He sought to reclaim his throne as an immortal diety of sorts, and take back the Earth. He didn't care what Aizen sought so long as it wasn't in his way. He couldn't know that Aizen's original plan was to destroy the barrier between both realms, better keep it that way.

Aizen wasn't entirely sure how it would turn out with Deep Blue at his side, but he would worry about the world of the living later. Deep Blue was powerful but naive as to how the worlds balanced one another, but Aizen knew he didn't want to over share with his new counterpart. For the time being, the spirit realm and the soul king was his primary goal now that he had a second opportunity. The insatiable empty hole inside his spirit yearned for a greater purpose, he would stop at nothing to fill the emptiness inside him.

Aizen smiled in his usual manner, concealing his thoughts from those around him,

"We have an agreement then."

...

A trembling petite girl shivered in her barracks, her breathing was rapid and her heart pounded loud in her chest so hard she could almost hear it. Rukia clenched her small fists hard on the legs of her shihakusho. She rocked slightly on the edge of her bed, trying not to cry while staring hard at her own lap.

How could she help the sereitei in this condition? This was the worst possible time.

Quick footsteps outside her door caught her attention, the intruder didn't knock or ask permission before barging into her private Captain's chamber. Her childhood friend and lover rushed across the room and she hopped to her feet as he approached breathlessly. She had summoned him and he was quick to the punch. Renji cut her off before she could speak,

"Rukia what happened? Are you okay?"

The short girl stifled a sob, her strong will kept her from breaking down and sobbing right then and there. She certainly wasn't the crying type. Rukia barely croaked out a response as he dropped to his knees in front of her, holding her hands and looking up to her with worry in his eyes.

"I'm pregnant."

The red headed man inhaled sharply and thoughts surged through his mind. He was a father? How could he cope with this at this critical time? Rukia wouldn't be able to fight. What would Byakuya do? All the buzzing thoughts in his mind faded when she dove down and hugged his muscular upper abdomen.

His petite lover buried her face into his tattooed chest and she breathed slowly as he comforted her,

"I'm so happy to be part of this with you Rukia, I just wasn't expecting it."

"I wasn't either... I'm..."

She stifled another shaky breath that threatened to send her into tears. Large arms wrapped her up tight and held her to his chest, she felt him shiver as though he could begin to cry as well. Rukia found a whisper,

"I'm so overwhelmed, but at the same time, I've never felt this type of joy before."

...

The ceremony was to begin soon at the former Sogyoku hill. A large marble looking battle field stood where it used to be with the Sogyoku on a platform high above them on a mountainous structure. The captains and lieutenants gathered on the large pale colored battle ground.

Ichigo and Izuru stood obediently behind Gin as the other captains arrived with their lieutenants. Renji and Rukia were present, but appeared very out of sorts and notably quiet. Hinamori was notably absent, but Renji made no comment about her whereabouts.

Ichigo smiled at Zakuro as she arrived with Komamura and Iba. The behemoth captain took his place beside Gin and Iba remained back between Zakuro and Ichigo. Iba chuckled at the two nervous girls,

"Ya'll look scared shitless. Don't worry, It'll be all right."

Ichigo weakly nodded and Izuru remained quiet. Zakuro took a deep breath and nodded at her concerned cat girl counterpart. Minto was arriving with Shuuhei, but he wasn't going to be giving her the shinigami powers due to his new status, and he didn't have a Lieutenant to supplement his power in the ceremony. Hitsugaya and Rangiku appeared and stood near her, they were going to bestow the ability onto her.

Gin turned back briefly and grinned at Ichigo,

"Dontcha' worry Ichigo~ You'll do jus' fine."

The reasurrance was doubled when Izuru gently elbowed her from her right, he smiled and nodded at her.

"You'll be great. We'll help you hone your ability as best as we can afterwards too."

Komamura turned over his shoulder and looked down to the violet haired girl, her grey wolf ears flicked a bit at his motion. He said nothing but smiled with his eyes down at his newfound squad member. The simple gesture made her feel calm inside, despite her stoic exterior, she admittedly was scared.

Minto twisted her fingers nervously beside Zakuro, with Rangiku to her left. Shuuhei and Hitsugaya stood in front of them. Rangiku cooed and smiled at the nervous girl,

"Don't worry, you'll be just fine!"

Kyouraku waved to everyone as he arrived last like usual, Nanao and Sasakibe were in tow behind him. Nanao announced the ceremony to begin and the captains and lieutenants not involved stepped into a long arc around the involved parties. Ichigo, Zakuro, and Minto stood in a short line with several feet of space between them. Their respective captains and lieutenants stood in front of them, facing them now. Kyouraku stood off behind those captains with his lieutenants, overseeing the ceremony.

The head captain tried to sound cheerful to calm the nerves of the anxious young women about to undergo a serious spiritual transformation.

"You three have been awarded the opportunity to become substitute shinigami, do the three of you consent to such a transformation?"

Minto hurriedly nodded, feeling terrified and as though she would back out if this took too long. She was trembling as she glanced over to Zakuro. The wolf girl swallowed and nodded with a dead serious expression. Ichigo chirped and forced a smile,

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be!"

The long haired head captain kindly spoke to the group again,

"Each of you have had a captain assigned to bestow these abilities upon you with the assistance of the spiritual pressure of each of their lieutenants as well. Upon conclusion of the spiritual change, you all will be closely monitored for a brief time by Captain Unohana and Captain Kurotsuchi to be certain you're well with the transformation."

The group grew quiet again, now they stared at the captains ahead of them. Komamura had a small smile to comfort Zakuro as the two stared at one another. Gin grinned wider at the wide eyed cat girl ahead of him, she was visibly trembling just like Minto. It tickled him to see fear in another, a sick quality he usually kept hidden except when he had the chance to give Rukia hope prior to her execution. Kyouraku announced once more,

"Captains, prepare yourselves!"

Each of the captains unsheathed their zanpakuto and released a great deal of spiritual pressure. The accompanying lieutenants put a hand on the shoulder of the captain and began to channel their reiatsu into their captain as they closed the gap between the girls and them. The lieutenants remained behind the captains as they took aim with their Zanpakuto.

Ichigo's mouth fell open as she eyed Gin's shortsword that was put up to the center of her chest. Zakuro didn't move or look down at the sword, she stared sternly up at the wolf headed man in front of her. Minto appeared frightened as Ichigo did, she took a brief second to glance at her fellow mews, she knew she had to do this. No matter how scared she was, she had to go through with it for her team and the Earth.

Hitsugaya offered no comfort to Minto as he pointed his sword at her chest with Rangiku to his side. Even the busty blond appeared more serious than usual, knowing her captain didn't necessarily appreciate being volunteered for this.

Kyouraku didn't hesitate once the captains were in position and channeling their reiatsu,

"You may begin!"

The three select captains pierced the girl's spirits through their upper chest and an explosion of reiatsu was released. The surrounding individuals flinched at the sudden burst of soul pressure. Each of the girls were only awake for a few moments before each of their worlds turned utterly black.

...

Far away from the ceremony, a young lieutenant had scampered her way to the edge of the outer Rukongai. The girl quickly glanced around to be certain there were no others present, all she could see was a vacant woodline of trees. Hinamori stood in the small clearing and took a deep breath as she unsheathed her sword.

With a motion as if she was unlocking a door with her Zanpakuto as a key, she opened a spirit gate to Hueco Mundo. She may not have ever been formidible with a sword, but she had grown quite skilled at Kidou. A gate was nothing for her to manifest. Hinamori hesitated for just a moment as she glanced back once more, her heart began to pound in her chest.

This was it.

Just this action itself would likely label her a traitor and land her killed or imprisoned. Hinamori swallowed hard as she turned back to the gate, thoughts of how angry Hitsugaya would be with her were at the front of her mind. She didn't want to hurt or disappoint him, but she needed her answers. Hopefully no high level Arrancar would find her before she was able to see Aizen.

Her yearning for why Aizen would betray them pushed her forward. She needed to know for herself.

...

The girls had been whisked away to division 4 to be certain their bodies were capable of handling the enhanced spiritual presence within them. Unohana and Mayuri were ordered to monitor the girls until they were stable enough to return to training. After the ceremony, the rest of the divisions dispersed, but Renji had urgent news to tell Kyouraku.

The floral cloaked man stood calmly with Nanao beside him at the entrance to the 1st division. The newly promoted redhead took a shaky breath as he explained Rukia's pregnancy. Nanao covered her mouth in shock and Kyouraku responded for her,

"That's quite the news! I'm happy for you both. But it's kinda a bad time to be pregnant, but great news none-the-less. I'll be sure to keep her off the front lines as much as possible, but you know I can only do so much."

Renji seemed visibly relieved, but deep down he felt sick to tell his former captain, Byakuya. He truly hoped Rukia would go with him to break the news. Before they could further engage in conversation, a frantic white haired captain appeared via flash step beside them. Hitsugaya was panting as if he ran several miles,

"Head Captain, Hinamori is missing! She's vanished and I believe she went to Hueco Mundo after Aizen!"

Kyouraku seemed somewhat shocked and Nanao stepped in,

"Are you certain that's where she would go?"

Renji seemed suddenly embarrassed, he was responsible for Hinamori now that she was his lieutenant. How humiliating to have your subordinate disappear under your watch, he had been so preoccupied with the pregnancy news, he forgot all about paying attention to Hinamori's whereabouts. He felt ashamed, especially with his promotion being so recent.

Hitsugaya continued,

"I'm sure she went there. Aizen was all she could talk about when he disappeared from the central 46. I think she is seeking answers or something-"

"I'm sorry Head Captain, It was my responsibility. I should have paid closer mind to her, especially when she didn't show up for the ceremony."

Renji interrupted the smaller captain to apologize for his lack of attention to his lieutenant. Kyouraku waved and opened his mouth to speak but Hitsugaya snarled at the new red haired captain,

"What kind of captain doesn't pay attention to his most important subordinate? You've got a lot to learn."

His icy words infurated Renji, the tattooed captain whipped in his direction,

"Who the fuck are you to say such a thing? I don't answer to you, I-"

"Guys!"

Kyouraku interrupted the pending argument between the other two, he waved his hands as if to settle them down. Nanao scoffed at the arguing captains as Kyouraku continued,

"Renji, it's okay. We will make arrangements to find her later, but right now we have to focus on getting prepared for what is to come."

The dismissive attitude caused Hitsugaya to shoot a death glare at his head captain,

"Sir, you say we just let her go? The Arrancar or Aizen will kill her!"

The brown haired man frowned and pulled the brim of his hat down, feeling guilt for his decision. He inwardly knew Ukitake was more the head captain type, he wished his dear friend was there now. He never wanted this position. Nanao looked over to him with concern, already knowing what he was going to say. Kyouraku knew they couldn't spare the personnel to chase after her, they had to prepare the sereitei for war. His voice became low,

"In a Lieutenant's capacity, Hinamori made her decision to leave the safety of the Sereitei on her own. We have preparations to make before we can blindly chase her into Hueco Mundo. No one is to pursue her at this moment. When we make entry to Hueco Mundo, we will search for her, but our primary directive is Aizen and this Deep Blue guy."


	6. Greetings

Cold hands touching her arm caused the cat girl to stir in her sleep, she felt tingly and like her senses were being overloaded. She could feel people moving around near her, like sensing another persons energy was heightened. Two very powerful beings were close by, and there were hundreds nearby, or were they far? She couldn't tell. Her mind raced with thoughts as she blinked a few times and stared up at the man touching her arm.

An ornately decorated captain examined her arm and slid his hands up over her left shoulder and touched her chin. He tilted her head to either side firmly yet gently. She had seen him before, he was in charge of research and development- if she remembered correctly. Ichigo blinked a few times as she took in the presence of the captain with face paint. She was laying flat on her back and her naked form was hidden under a white sheet. Behind Mayuri stood the black haired woman who lead division 4.

Ichigo reached up with her opposite arm towards him and Mayuri immediately seized it and locked hands with her. He interlaced his fingers between hers. A strange sensation came over her, like she could feel his crushing spiritual pressure just by touching him. He spoke with an unusual inflection as Gin did,

"Can you hear me girl? If you can, grab my hand as hard as you can."

The cat girl felt dizzy and as if she had a fever, she mumbled something inaudible and grabbed onto his hand with a firm squeeze. Mayuri muttered to himself and released her hand and leaned over her upper body, he slid down the sheet to expose the center of her chest where she had been pierced with Gin's sword. Unohana quickly spoke up,

"I think that's unneccessary Captain Kurotsuchi-"

"Oh hush woman, I'm just making certain there is no residual injury. It appears there is not..."

The red head clumsily grabbed at the sheet to cover her chest once the male captain had observed where the zanpakuto had pierced her soul. It left no scar or mark, as if she hadn't been stabbed through at all. The memory seemed fuzzy of the cermeony.

Ichigo sat up slowly with a grimace at her body aching and Mayuri again grabbed her chin and firmly turned her head towards him. Energy felt as though it was boiling inside of her. He spoke to her again while looking over her features, specifically into her hazy eyes,

"What does it feel like?"

The girl's tail flicked behind her and she wriggled her ears, taking in the sensation, she felt energized and more powerful, yet dizzy. She felt as though someone ignited something inside her,

"I feel... stronger I guess."

Mayuri scoffed and released her and she wrapped the sheet around her upper body tighter.

"You guess?"

"I think that's enough for now Captain Kurotsuchi, I'll handle it from here."

Unohana urged the unusual looking captain by stepping up beside him. Everyone in the Sereitei knew not to second guess Unohana when she encouraged someone to do something- she was a truly frightening woman to say the least. Mayuri knew she wouldn't let him poke or prod much with the newcomers. He began tittering to himself about experiments as he left the room. As soon as Mayuri exited, Gin appeared like clock work in the doorway. The sly captain wore his trademark smirk as he leaned against the infirmary doorway.

Ichigo glanced over at him as Unohana put her Shihakusho on the bed beside her. The grinning man dare not enter the room without Unohana's request as he addressed his subordinate,

"Glad yer finally awake Ichigo-chan. How are ya feelin'?"

A weak smile appeared on her face and she rolled her shoulders, she felt somewhat stiff. The redhead glanced over at her captain,

"I feel... groggy, but at the same time completely energized. It's weird... I guess that means it worked though right?"

Unohana whispered softly to her and patted the neatly folded Shihakusho,

"If you feel well enough, go ahead and get dressed. Captain Ichimaru will return you to your own barracks so you can get some much needed rest."

...

The faint trace of a familiar soul emanated it's way to the newly freed Aizen. The calm man was seated at his conference table with Deep Blue at the opposite end, the new Espada who filled the ranks were lined along the table on either side of them. Deep Blue was not condsidered among the ranks of the Espada, as he was regarded as Aizen's 'equal'. Aizen was fascinated with Deep Blue's abilities to say the least.

Deep Blue possessed the ability to remove a soul from it's living host and put it into a crystalized form, something akin to a hogyoku. This was a power Aizen had never thought he could come across, and he intended to use it to further their goals.

Deep Blue cooly spoke up to address Aizen in the practically sterile meeting room,

"I'm leaving to the world of the living. Munishi will accompany me, I have unfinished business with some of those that were left behind in the world of the living."

Aizen lazily tilted his head and grabbed the white tea filled mug in front of him,

"Are you going to kill them?"

The icy alien wasted no time and his tone was laced with disdain as he thought back to his death,

"I'll bring their souls here."

This was certainly a method Aizen wasn't familiar with, but who was he to hinder someone elses revenge. Revenge was something Aizen was not interested in, it was the weak man's way of giving into rage, something he wouldn't stoop to. The brown haired man nodded pleasantly to the alien, who promptly glanced to the number 2 Espada. The black haired woman grinned from ear to ear, pleased to be accompanying one of the two most powerful beings in Hueco Mundo. She was floured and accepted graciously with a wink of flirtation,

"Whatever you wish, Master Deep Blue."

Deep Blue paid no attention to her slight advance on him and his emotionless eyes shot back to Aizen upon sensing the Shinigami. He was not the most skilled at sensing nearby opponents, but it was something he could do if he focused. Someone had entered their realm, uninvited.

The scarce remnance of Hinamori's spiritual pressure in the Hueco Mundo desert again wafted over the powerful group of Arrancar. Aizen guessed she would come for him eventually, but he wasn't expecting her so quickly. The usual calm smirk remained on his face as he glanced to a strange entity seated approximately halfway down the table to his right.

This was the 10th Espada now, and was a truly horrifying being to say the least. He appeared as a medium height thin male who was entirely mummified- as if he had emerged from a carcophagus the day prior. Tarnished looking bandages wrapped him from head to toe, covering his mouth so he could not speak. There was no bit of his flesh visible and no way to read his personality. A disturbing wraspy groan was all it would muster in response to orders or to being addressed. The only thing truly known about him was that he was created by Akhenaten, the arabian appearing number 4 Espada who sat directly across from it.

Aizen spoke to the mummified creature flatly,

"Nephthys."

The being let out a low grumble akin to a snake hiss, earning the attention of the other Espada. The lord of Hueco Mundo again addressed him,

"We have a guest, I have no doubt you can sense her spiritual pressure. Would you collect her for me? Unharmed if possible."

The strange being abruptly dissolved into sand where he sat, the grains poured around the chair and swept across the floor as if there was a phantom breeze. The Espada on either side of him almost leaned away from it as it disentegrated, clearly uneasy with it's presence. Nephthys, by far, was the most unusual in appearance of the new Espada.

It's creator, Akhenaten, calmly inquired at the orders given,

"Lord Aizen, if I may...You seem to be familiar with this intruder, may I ask how?"

This Espada appeared to be arabian in appearance with a white head scarf on his head that billowed behind him. It hid his shoulder length wavy hair under the light scarf. He was tan skinned with narrow eyes and a deep voice- he appeared similar in physicality to Nnoitra, tall and lean.

Aizen addressed the 4th Espada calmly,

"But of course. She was a subordinate from my previous occupancy as a Captain for the Gotei 13. She could prove of use to us, despite her fragile nature. Wouldn't you agree it would greatly demoralize the enemy to see their own fall under our control?"

...

The short girl fumbled in her steps and Gin grabbed her before she tripped and fell. Ichigo still felt extremely disoriented after the immense strain put on her spirit, the way she walked was as if she was intoxicated. The two were paused in a long outdoor corridor with the sound of crickets beginning to chirp now that the sun was down. The silver haired captain leaned her into his right side,

"At this rate we won' get ya back till sunrise."

Before the clumsy cat girl could respond, he swept her up in his arms and darted off in a flash step. Ichigo clung to his haori as he whisked them across rooftops towards their division. As he bounced across the golden plated roofs, the girl in his arms spoke softly,

"I'm sorry... I don't mean to be a burden."

Although she felt groggy, she was well aware of what was taking place and felt immense guilt. It was like she and the other two girls were plopped in the Sereitei and a task dumped on the divisions. He certainly had more important things to be taking care of instead of a girl who could barely walk. She was used to feeling like one of the strongest on her team, and here she was, as weak as ever, it was utterly humiliating to say the least. It was a foreign feeling to her to go from so powerful, to feeling like a toddler learning to walk.

Gin cooed in his usual odd manner,

"Oh Ichigo-Chan, ya ain't a burden! I really like havin' ya in my division. And yer not so bad on the eyes either."

His compliment made her blush, she kept her head locked down against his chest and didn't look up at him in hopes he wouldn't see. Gin couldn't possibly think anything of her in a romantic sense, there was no way, they had just met! Her pondering then strayed and gave her a chill- Wait, what about Masaya? Ichigo felt suddenly more embarrassed and leaned into Gin's chest harder, her small fist clenched the fabric of his haori.

She felt mortified to even consider the prospect of another relationship, but she and Masaya hadn't spoken in so long. It felt like months, maybe years, since she had seen him. It was hard to tell how much time had passed since she came here, which brought up another disturbing thought.

Why wasn't he here yet? Why hadn't he come for her? What was he doing that was so important to have refused her calls when she tried to get in touch with him prior to coming here? She hadn't seen him in so long, it almost felt like a memory of a past relationship. The searing hot love and adoration for Masaya had never felt so far from her mind. Ichigo's head was spinning as the man carrying her slid to a halt and began to walk through the division barracks with her still in his arms.

The redhead wriggled slightly in his grip,

"I- I could walk Captain Ichimaru!"

The grinning man glanced down at her as he kept his pace through the long corridors,

"Oh Imma put ya in bed, ya need some rest. The rest of your trainin' is happening this week starting tomorrow. Better get some good sleep!"

Gin entered her room and Ichigo felt relieved to be back but anxious that her captain was carrying her to bed. She still felt embarrassed and her nerves made her feel more clear minded. The man set her down on the edge of the bed and Ichigo stood up abruptly in some feigned confidence to show she was all right,

"Th-Thank you! I'll be better tomorrow I promise!"

Gin's smile never faded and he leaned down close to her, causing her heart to pound in her chest. He was inches from her face, for just a moment, Ichigo was sure he was about to kiss her. The faint glimmer of the moonlight illuminated his narrow face and eyes. Ichigo was breathless for just a moment before the man calmly bid farewell to her,

"We'll see ya in the mornin' then."

Without another word he turned on his heel and meandered out of the room, waving at her as she stood frozen by her bed. Ichigo wanted to laugh at herself for thinking her captain was about to kiss her. But was he?

...

A distracted white haired captain stared out at the dimming sun through the window of his office. It was unlike Hitsugaya to have neglected paperwork and other captain's duties, but Kyouraku's words were burning in his mind. He knew the Head Captain was being reasonable and objective, but it stung nonetheless and made him angry that he couldn't go bring Hinamori back. If it was even possible. Worry for his dear friend consumed him, he had feelings he couldn't quite articulate.

Hinamori hadn't been gone but for a few hours and he had to wonder if she was still alive. Surely she had become stronger after the final war with Aizen, but she wasn't ready to face an Espada on her own. He dropped his head and leaned over in his chair, propping his upper body with his elbows on the tops of his knees. Images of her running through the pale desert sent a shiver up his spine- not a sensation he so easily felt. She was all alone, and there was a good chance she'd die simply trying to get her answers from Aizen.

The young captain didn't move when the doors to his office were opened, he recognized Rangiku's spiritual pressure approaching. He ignored her as she meandered in, she stared at the hurt young man in front of her for a few moments.

"Captain... You haven't left your office all day."

Her statement earned her a more bitter response than she expected,

"Where would I go Rangiku?"

The icy tone in his voice was stemmed from the anguish he was feeling. The curvaceous woman ignored his dismissive attitude and circled his desk, leaning against it beside him. A gentle hand reached over and grazed his upper back, he was very still. Rangiku deeply frowned, knowing how it was hurting him to have Hinamori gone. She had always speculated the woman was more special to Hitsugaya than he lead on, but he always let his position as a captain come first.

Rangiku stroked his upper back in a comforting manner,

"I know what it feels like, and I'm sorry."

Before Hitsugaya bit back, he swallowed hard, knowing she was being genuine. Rangiku seemed to have healed from the battle with Aizen both emotionally and physically quite well. He learned She and Gin had a past as children and teenagers, but the Soul Society pulled them away and transformed them into different people. Regardless, Hitsugaya was firmly against the pardoning of Gin, not seeing him as trustworthy whatsoever. But Rangiku had shared the entire tale to him after the War, and it granted him a further understanding of why Gin was pardoned.

The gentle petting to his upper back was only slight comfort to the seething emotional pain consuming him. Hinamori up and left without a word, and it stung to know someone so dear to him would abandon everything she worked for- and abandon him. He had blindly hoped her devotion to Aizen would have faded over time- but he had to accept he could be wrong. There was only speculation, and no concrete word from her about why she did such a thing, which was unlike her entirely.

As if a light flicked on, the white haired man jolted up in his seat. Rangiku gasped and retracted her hand quickly, staring at him as he then hopped to his feet and his eyes met hers. Hitsugaya almost showed a hint of relief on his face,

"Come with me, I think I know where we could get more information about why she did it."

...

Stifled cries earned Aizen's attention as he walked alongside the Primero Espada, Socrates, in one of the main thoroughfares of the Las Noches castle. The whirring of sand sliding through the hall caused the two to turn around, they were met with a partially disentegrated Nephthys approaching them with something wrapped in bandages.

Nephthys' lower body was a huge whirling mound of sand and his upper body had long strips of bandages reached out in front of him. The sliding of sand across the pale concrete was almost deafening as he approached in a flurry. A familiar black haired girl was tied in the bandages and squirming to get free. Her eyes and mouth were wrapped ferociously as well as her limbs which were sinched behind her. Her sword was spat onto the ground at Aizen's feet from the moving sand heap beneath Nephtys' upper body. The sword clanked across the concrete and Socrates stepped in to gather her Zanpakuto.

The mummified Espada paused when Aizen nodded towards him, he appeared like a loyal dog bringing something he dug from the yard. The older espada seemed grimmaced at the sight of the girl struggling in the bandages while he stood up from collecting her sword. Aizen enjoyed the sight for a moment too long, prompting Socrates to make a humble request,

"Nepthys, why don't you set her down? She's no threat to us."

The creature complied gruffly without so much as a groan. The bandages whipped away from the girl, dumping her hard into a heap on the floor. She sputtered and coughed as she collected herself, pushing her upper body up off of the hard floor. Immediately, several searing emotions took over her when her eyes met with Aizen. Hinamori began to tear up, her lower lip quivered. She began shaking and felt stuck between the urge to attack him and the urge to hug him. She knelt frozen in the conflicted emotions she had, and opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find words as Aizen gracefully stepped up to her.

Her former captain sunk to one knee in front of her and reached out with a gentle hand- grazing her chin. It felt alien and familiar at the same time. The girl's glassy eyes met his calm ones,

"Ah, Hinamori. It's been so long, you look good. You've grown so much since I last saw you."

His scent, his comforting voice, everything then felt the same. Hinamori's gut wrenched, feeling afraid to reach out to him because of what happened to her previously. The memories of his betrayal were fresh in her mind and so seethingly painful to relive. She swallowed hard, still staring at him with a genuine expression of worry and desire,

"C-Captain Aizen, please... Tell me it's really you."

The powerful man smiled widely to her and nodded, earning a sudden embrace from the girl. Aizen recalled vividly spearing her through the chest before, he wouldn't do so this time around. Her small arms clung around him in desperation and she sobbed heavily into his chest. She was so enthralled in her former captain's person she failed to notice behind her, Nephthys slink away into the halls. Socrates stood solemnly behind Aizen as he allowed Hinamori to hug him for several moments.

Aizen finally spoke softly to her,

"I'm truly sorry for all the strife I've caused you. You have to understand, it wasn't aimed at you. It was for the greater good, I'll help you understand, if you'll stay with me for a while."

...


End file.
